Parkland News

Thomas Johns was sworn in to the South Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Tuesday after being elected on Nov. 7. Johns previously served on the board for eight years, from 2010 to 2018.

The Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to make newly-elected supervisor Jeff Fleischaker the chairman of the board at its meeting Tuesday.

South Whitehall Township Police Department no longer has any vacancies after six new officers joined the department Tuesday.

The North Whitehall Board of Supervisors on Tuesday granted approval for a new recreation center at Valley Youth House's Camp Fowler. It will be called the Carter Family Center.

As 2023 draws to a close, lehighvalleynews.com offers a retrospective of a variety of stories about people, places and things that make the Lehigh Valley special.

The South Whitehall Board of Commissioners held interviews for eight candidates for the vacancy on Thursday, but decided to delay the decision for another meeting.

The Winter Light Spectacular features 1.2 million lights in holiday displays, fire pits for s’mores, hot chocolate and live performances by princesses Anna, Elsa, Belle and Cinderella.

The 75,000-square-foot St. Luke’s Sportsplex features more than two dozen indoor courts and almost the same number outside.

The South Whitehall Board of Commissioners is seeking applications to fill a vacant seat. The current commissioners will conduct public interviews with applicants at a special meeting on Dec. 28, then vote to appoint one of them.

The Upper Macungie Planning Commission reviewed a sketch plan for renovations and expansions to Trexler Travel Center on 5829 Tilghman St.

South Whitehall Township commissioners appointed Capt. Stephen Brown to the position of interim/acting police chief. Outgoing Police Chief Glen Dorney recently tendered his resignation to take a job in the private sector.

An art show centered around mental health and disabilities is opening in an unlikely place. Midnight Gallery is in the showroom of Vollux Autowerks, a car repair and diagnostics shop in Lehigh County.

Asst. Superintendent Timothy Chorones on Tuesday gave the Parkland School Board a presentation about staffing the district may need to add to next school year’s budget.

South Whitehall Township Police Chief Glen Dorney resigned on March 4. He led the department starting in April 2018, and before then was the Allentown police chief.

The 2nd annual Parkland Community Resource Fair & Health Symposium will be held 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Parkland High School cafeteria.

As Dorney Park begins testing and inches closer to the opening of Iron Menace, fans are heaping praise on Thunderhawk — a classic wooden coaster that turns 100 this year.

Upper Macungie Township plans to build a 10 foot wide, 5 kilometer-long macadam pathway along the edge of Grange Park, called the Grange Park Loop Trail.

Sangriafest, which includes food, vendors, lawn games, live music and — of course — that namesake wine-and-fruit beverage, will be 4-7 p.m. June 15 at Grange Park in Upper Macungie Township.

Lauren and Juan Vargas, owners of Nowhere Coffee Co., expect their latest business venture — a roastery and coffee bar in the heart of Allentown — to be operational very soon, they confirmed Wednesday.

An Intro to Fly Fishing class and a Birding Adventure at Trexler Nature Preserve are some of the new recreation programs coming to North Whitehall Township.

Dr. Jay Talsania is an orthopedic hand surgeon at OAA Orthopedic Specialists in Upper Macungie. In April, the physician will head to Guatemala once again to offer free health care to children in the third-world country.

Willow Haven Farm farmer Reuben DeMaster and independent contractor Bill Kuklinski are partnering to open an organic grocery store at 8150 Hamilton Boulevard in Breinigsville.